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Editor: Sam Schaen - Email: Editor@NVPS.org
Note: You can click on the above links to go directly to the article; or you can scroll through the entire newsletter. You can also print the entire newsletter. September 2, 2008 Ian J. Plant will be our NVPS Program speaker for
September 2, 2008. Ian has been photographing the natural world for
fifteen years and is known for his dramatic and evocative landscape
and wildlife images. His work has appeared in a number of books and
calendars, as well as national and regional magazines, including Outdoor
Photographer, National Parks, Blue Ridge Country, Adirondack
Life, Wonderful West Virginia, and Chesapeake Life,
among others. His sixth and most recent book is the critically acclaimed Chesapeake:
Bay of Light. An Exploration of the Chesapeake Bay's Wild and Forgotten
Places. Ian's work has also appeared in five books of the Wonder
and Light series. Ian is co-owner of Mountain Trail Press, a publisher
of nature photography books and calendars. Ian also leads photo workshops
and tours through Mountain Trail Photo. For more information, and to
see more of Ian's work, visit http://www.mountaintrailphoto.com. Lowepro Camera Bag Raffle A Lowepro Primus AW backpack will be raffled at the meeting. Joe Miller won it at the End of Year Banquet. Alas, Joe cannot use this and has kindly donated it to the club. Anybody that would love to own this and can use it is eligible for the giveaway. The giveaway will take place at the first NVPS meeting on Tuesday, September 2nd. YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN!!!! If the name that is drawn out of the bowl is NOT present, another name will be drawn. To be eligible, you must send an email to Sandi Croan (Pashli@aol.com) expressing your desire to enter no later than Sunday, August 31st at 6pm. Please put your full name somewhere in the email and simply state "I want it" or something similar. Mary O'Neill Tom Brett We welcome you to NVPS '08-'09. This will be an exciting and active NVPS year. We will be treated to wonderful speakers, competitions, photographic presentations, field trips, education sessions, exhibits, and other learning experiences. You will be encouraged, provided with educational opportunities, and challenged. This will be the 44th year for NVPS and we will maintain the club's outstanding reputation as one of the very best photography clubs in the region. NVPS is a very active club with activities to challenge and appeal to the many "tastes" and skill levels of our members. We are intent on encouraging and helping less- experienced photographers to increase their skills. We are very fortunate to have a Board of very talented volunteers, with a good mix of prior Board experience and "new" Board members. As you know, all Board members are volunteers. Please strongly consider volunteering to serve in one of the unfilled positions, which include: Secretary [who had to resign as a result of job workload increase], Exhibits Coordinator, Meadowlark Coordinator, and [not a board position, but appreciated by all] Refreshments Coordinator. Congratulations to the many fine photographers who "graduated up" from Novice to Advanced level, based on their demonstrated higher skills during competitions last year. Congratulations also to Scott Musson for being a great President last year and for completing & analyzing the masterful Members Survey, for revamping & publishing the Board Member Guide and his many other initiatives. We greatly look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, 2 September, at Dunn Loring Fire Station as we kick-off another exciting year. I am very honored to follow in the footsteps of so many wonderful former NVPS presidents. Tom Brett
September 9, 2008 September 30, 2008 September is 2-fer Month. We will start a new program year of workshops. Monthly workshops will be held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Dunn Loring Fire Station. They start at 7:30 PM. Special workshops will be held two fifth Tuesdays: September (Novice Night) and , provisionally, March (Portfolio Critique). Workshops are organized to promote hands-on opportunities to learn about photography skills, techniques, and equipment. Two workshop-field trip combinations will support Competition themes: (January-Rhythm, and April-Architecture). The workshop provides “how-to” lessons followed by a field trip to provide in-the-field practice and instruction. This is followed by Competition judging to provide feedback on success. Again this year we will sponsor a Portfolio Project (described below). September 9, Presentation Skills Six ribbon winners from last year will lead a workshop on preparing prints and digital images for competition and display. Following a break, several smaller break-out sessions will provide members an opportunity to get questions answered and share tips. September 30, Novice Night Bill Folsom will speak about the important features of camera and photographic techniques. After his presentation several stations will provide photo-making opportunities plus answers to questions about cameras and general photographic techniques. Finally, we are working to establish a “Help Desk--Problem Solvers” program to connect members with questions to members with answers. We plan both specific person to person referrals and online Q & A’s. NVPS 2008-9 Portfolio Project NVPS will be repeating last year’s popular Portfolio Project in 2008-9. This is a nine month project starting in September and running through May. The current schedule for this project is outlined below (with more details to follow as the year progresses):
A portfolio will contain 12 images and include an “Artist’s Statement” in which the photographer explains what he or she is trying to accomplish. Portfolios may be bound in an album or contained loose in a traditional portfolio box. The physical characteristics of the portfolio up are to the photographer. You are free to choose the type and size of portfolio that best reflects your content and/or style. At the photographer’s option, portfolio images can be posted at club’s website for critiquing during the portfolio’s development. The online critiques will be conducted only by judges who have completed Joe Miller’s judging course. Details on posting to the website for this project will be available in September. The project goal is to create a printed portfolio of your best images starting from April 2008 (this provides a full 12 months for those who select themes with a seasonal flair). These are the images you would be proud to share with others for years to come. Please feel free to contact the project coordinator at any time with questions and suggestions concerning the portfolios. Ed Knepley If you have any questions or concerns about Workshops, contact
On Tuesday, September 16th we will kick off our first competition of the 2008-2009 season with Jill Bochicchio as our judge. Please plan on joining Jill for dinner at Chili's at 5:45 prior to the competition (Sandi will send out a separate dinner reminder closer to the date). Please do not forget that new competition rules will be in
effect (http://nvps.org/main//about/rules-of-compettion/) and that only paid members may
enter competitions.
Competition Judge Ranked among photography’s top professionals, Jill A. Bochicchio has crafted a reputation for creativity and excellence. The Maryland Professional Photographer’s Association (MDPPA) named her Photographer of the Year for five consecutive years. Kodak Corporation honored her with four Gallery Awards for Photographic Excellence. Her outstanding fine art and commercial photographs have appeared in MDPPA’s Traveling Loan Collection, the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) Loan Collection and Masters Loan Collection, and private art exhibits. Her photographs have also been exhibited at Epcot in Florida. Her portraits of individuals, families and business leaders throughout the region are widely recognized for their warmth and artistry. She recently photographed the FDA Director for a magazine cover, as well as a magazine cover for Chiefs of Police. In addition, Ms. Bochicchio has been the official photographer for the National Philharmonic Orchestra for the past 17 years. Ms. Bochicchio has earned both a professional Master of Photography degree and a Craftsman degree. She served as President of the MDPPA in 1988 and Chairman of the board in 1989. Her articles have appeared in several photography magazines and she is a popular speaker before amateur and professional photographic organizations. Her studio, Bochicchio Photography is located in Rockville, Maryland. Jill’s website is: www.bochicchiophotography.com Promotions from Novice to Advanced ClassThe Competition Team would like to congratulate all of the fine photographers who were promoted from Novice to Advanced class in the '07 – '08 camera club year:
Rule ChangesRule changes were made in the following 3 areas:
For complete competition rules, please see the Rules
of Competition on the NVPS website. Copies will also be available
at club meetings. Common Competition ErrorsThere are several errors in competition submissions that seem to occur every year, so the Competition Team thought they would provide some quick reminders of the more common errors. Print SizePrints can be up to 40” wide, but cannot be taller than 20”. This means that a 16” x 24” mat cannot be used in a portrait format, only in landscape format. This restriction is because the light box that we use for competitions only has 20” of clearance between the print shelf and the upper light box. Digital Image SizeDigital images must be no wider than 1024 pixels and not taller than
768 pixels. This size restriction exists because it is the largest
native resolution of the club's digital projector and larger (or smaller)
images will be scaled either by the projection software (PowerPoint)
or by the projector itself. In both cases the scaling algorithm
will cause significant errors in the display of the image. Print MountingPrints must be securely mounted with a mat and backing. Prints
also need an arrow that can be read in the dark of the stage that indicates
which side is the top of the print. Prints also need to have the
image maker's name and the image name on the back. No names or writing
can be on the front of the mat. Photographer Classes and CategoriesWe have two (2) classes and five (5) categories for the purpose of competitions. The
two (2) classes are Novice and Advanced. The five (5) categories
are Color Prints, Monochrome Prints, Enhanced Prints, Slides and Digital
Projection. Membership DuesTo enter images in competition the competitor must be a member in good standing, meaning that membership dues must be paid prior to the start of the competition. Guidance for October Themed Competition — Silhouettes The October 21st competition will be a themed competition with the subject of “Silhouettes.” The definition of Silhouette for this competition was defined two years ago by the Theme Committee as: "May include any subject where the predominate images are in silhouette, usually achieved through backlighting. Images may show rim lighting, but by definition, silhouettes do not show any detail." The guidance below indicates the current competition team's interpretation of that definition as it will be applied to images submitted for October's competition. Guidance A silhouette is defined as an outline or object that appears dark against a lighter background. It may include any subject where the predominate subject(s) is (are) in silhouette, usually achieved through backlighting. The next two images would be acceptable for this competition, and the third would be eliminated because it contains too much detail in the lighted portions of the subject (hands and face. Example of a Traditional Silhouette (acceptable) Copyright © Sandi Croan Photography Example of a Non-Traditional Silhouette (acceptable)
A beautifully seen backlit photo that would not qualify as a
silhouette (not eligible: Please remember that all elements of your submitted images must have been captured within 2 years of the competition date. As in all competitions, you may submit a maximum of 3 entries with no more than 2 entries in any one category. If you have any questions, please contact Sandi Croan at pashli@aol.com or Matthew Schmidt at mgs@loreleistudios.com.
Proposed Changes to the By-Laws, The following proposal to change the By-Laws of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society was made at the NVPS summer transition board meeting and was approved to be brought before the membership for a vote. The proposal is to lower the requirement for a quorum from “not less than one-third of the entire membership” to “not less than 15 percent of the entire membership”. The reason for this recommendation is to address the difficulty we had with establishing a quorum for the election of officers and for the changes to the Constitution and By-Laws and the rules of Competition. The vote to amend the By-Laws which requires a simple majority will be held at the NVPS competition night on September 16. Current definition of a quorum: Article VII. Definition of a QuorumA quorum of the general membership for the purpose of voting on Society business shall consist of not less than one-third of the entire membership. The Secretary/Historian shall determine if a quorum is present whenever a question arises requiring a vote. Proposed definition of a quorum: Article VII. Definition of a QuorumA quorum of the general membership for the purpose of voting on Society business shall consist of not less than 15 percent of the entire membership. The Secretary/Historian shall determine if a quorum is present whenever a question arises requiring a vote. Scott Musson
The Wolf Sanctuary of PA Sanctuary Donation: $35 per person (normal price is $75 pp) Mark your calendars now for the next NVPS Fieldtrip which be held on Saturday, September 13th. The club will be visiting The Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania for a private photo shoot of the wolves in their sanctuary home. The sanctuary will collect a $35 fee per person upon arrival and their staff will be on-hand to provide information and answer your questions.
Sanctuary photographic considerations: As you might expect, the wolves are fenced in and this will pose some challenges for your photographic technique. Generally, the use of wider apertures, longer lens and manual focus will permit you to capture good images. Camera position needs to be relatively close to the fence (but not too close as there are wolves in there!). As the wolves will not be far away, you will have the opportunity to capture close-up images of the wolves as well as some interaction among themselves. In some cases, you will need to take care to have your subject (the wolf) be sufficiently away from the fence in order to focus. Tripods are permitted but you may find that hand holding the camera to be more practical. I was told that ladders would also be permitted but you would need something like an 8 ft. ladder to gain any height advantage (step stools would not offer much benefit). As a reference, here is a link to another wolf sanctuary in New Jersey. http://www.lakotawolf.com/Serious_Photo.htm
Note: Sign-up is required as attendance may be limited
On July 13th, several NVPS members met at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to photograph the lotus plants, lilies, and other subjects. Below are some pictures taken that day.
For a larger version of any of the above images, click on the image. Field Trip Coordinator:
Dave Carter The September NVPS Forum and Members Gallery will be a tribute to Dave Carter, long time member of NVPS, who died June 29. Dave was an excellent photographer, teacher, writer and judge. Dave loved images, and he never saw an image he couldn't say something positive about. For years he was an active photographer, and he encouraged and influenced many area photographers. At the Forum some of Dave's friends will present images as a tribute to Dave, and Members Gallery will be a presentation of Dave's work, his vision and his eye for photography. Gayle Dennis HDR (High Dynamic Range) For about six months, I have immersed myself in HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography to the extent it became almost a distraction. HDR imaging technology has solved one of the biggest problems faced by photographers, especially digital photographers. Before HDR, it was almost impossible to capture a scene with a wide range of tones in a single image. With HDR imaging software, photographers can digitally capture a greater range of tones by combining a number of exposures into one image, thus maintaining detail in both the shadow and highlight areas of the photograph. The multiple exposures are processed in Photoshop or, by the most preferred method, using Photomatix software. The processed HDR image is then “tone mapped” to look like a realistic photograph or to look like a graphic illustration. The “grunge” look is another possible outcome achieved by tone mapping the same image multiple times. Mostly, I go for the “grunge” look with unrealistic colors bordering on the surreal. I often apply Alien Skin filters as well. HDR can sound complicated and a bit intimidating, but one of the best resources I’ve found is the book by Farrell McCollough, Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range: Digital Photography. The text and accompanying illustrations take the mystery out of HDR photography. The information in the book is easy to comprehend and will take the photographer through each step in the HDR imaging process, including shooting the initial multiple exposures through post-processing techniques. This book is a valuable resource for the beginner as well as the seasoned professional. Happy HDR shooting!!! Josh Taylor, Jr. Quick Review: Adobe Lightroom 2 Adobe released Lightroom Version 2 on July 29, 2008. Lightroom is a really simple and fast way to organize and deal with a collection of photos. And it is non-destructive: you can "fix" a photo and not destroy the original. I think of it as Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw on steroids, because I can bring in a gaggle of images (JPEG, RAW, TIFF and PSD), quickly sort the winners from the losers, make some non-destructive changes, and then edit in Photoshop (or any other editor) if needed. Or just output a collection of JPEGs for the web or email. Adobe aimed Lightroom at pros, such as wedding photographers, who need to put together an album ASAP and put it on the web or CD for their clients. From camera to a web album in ten minutes is possible. Or you can do some quick prints, say 4x6s, for people to look at. Then, for camera club competition (or the "real" wedding photo), click and do the usual post processing in Photoshop, Elements, Corel, etc. So what is special about Lightroom 2? I am delighted to have dual monitor support: I keep the catalog of images on one screen and one large image to deal with on my primary screen. (I also edit in Photoshop with the picture separate from all the tools). The rest of the upgrade includes improved views, keywording, develop tools (a gradient tool and local adjustment brush, non-destructive!), and even better print and web options. For more details, the nice people at NAPP have launched a free Lightroom 2 Learning Center! Be sure to check it out. http://www.photoshopuser.com/lightroom2 The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $299 (or $99 if you are upgrading from Lightroom 1.x. A 30 day trial Available; If you are a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) you can get a 15% discount off any Adobe product from the Adobe Store website. Students/teachers/academics get the full product for about $99, i.e. the upgrade price. John Naman
Dave Carter
More than that, I felt conflicted
about my two majors -- psychology, and digital art & photography --
and had resigned myself to the fact that at the end of my undergraduate
career, I would have to decide which one I liked more, and pursue it at
the expense of the other. Over the course of that semester, Dave showed
me how mistaken I was. He showed me that not only did I not need to choose
one of my two passions when deciding what to do with my life but that the
union of the two was important and worthwhile to both fields, and could
lead down an exciting path of academic research and artistic endeavor. Jonathan Gardner Update on NVPS Founder Sil Horwitz NVPS is starting its 44th year as a club. Sil Horwitz was the first President and founder of NVPS. He's now 92 years old, is still very active, altho he has been slowed by some medical challenges, and thrives in Florida. (He has always been an NVPS member. NVPS owes him great gratitude for his work and the example he set. We send our congratulations on his many accomplishments. In his response to Tom Brett's invitation for him to attend our 2 Sep. meeting, he sent this update: "I'm 92 and....still active in photography (I'm president of the Central Florida CC - www.centralfloridacc.org ) and still lecturing on various aspects of photography. (If you click on my "personal page" in the signature below, you can get an idea!) I not only was one of the first to recognize that digital photography was the way of the future before that was universally recognized, but gave a lecture at an NVPS meeting long ago that it was, indeed, true photography. Some NVPS members may still recall that. As much as I would like to, it is not possible for me to attend the opening NVPS meeting of the year. Unfortunately, my doctors insist that I do not travel alone more than 25 miles - I do still drive and would love to make the trip to Virginia; but it just isn't possible. Anyway, as the founder and first president of NVPS, I thank you for the invitation and hope you can say a few words at the meeting to offer my sincere regrets." Sil Horwitz, FPSA
Submitted by Tom Brett
Photographers of Northern Virginia Repeat programs of Photographers of Northern Virginia are now being shown on a regular basis on Fairfax Public Access Channel 30 every Monday at 3:30 p.m. and every Friday at 3 p.m. They will no longer be shown on Channel 10. The September schedule is as follows:
The schedule can also be found on the NVPS website (http://nvps.org/main/upcoming/tv_program_photographers_of_no/). Luella Murri
Events Photographic Society of America
Tom Hady Exhibition Opportunities Gallery West National Juried Show
Gallery West will be sponsoring its 12th Annual Juried Show in February. The prospectus is at www.gallery-west.com. It will be held at Gallery West in Alexandria Virginia from February 4th to March 2nd 2009. The Juror is Joey P. Mánlapaz. Entries must be submitted on CDs. There is a fee of $35 for 1-3 images. The deadline is November 20, 2008. Total awards will be $1000. Linda Bankerd, Show Chair 29th Northern Counties International Salon of Photography 2008 Photographers around the world are invited to submit entries to the 29th Northern Counties International Salon of Photography. ALL sections in this event will be carried out under the patronage of both FIAP and PSA with the addition this year of patronage by the Royal Photographic Society (RPS). Medals and Awards have been granted by all three patrons in addition to the NCPF awards. There will be five sections:
Closing date for all entries is September 27th 2008 Full details of all the rules and conditions of entry, together with Entry Forms can be found in the “International Exhibition” at: http://www.ncpf.org.uk David Coates 5th Annual Fall Wildlife Festival The Friends of the Potomac River Refuges to ask for your involvement in the 5th Annual Fall Wildlife Festival on Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 9 am to 3 pm to take place at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The festival, sponsored by the Friends of the Potomac Refuge Refuges (www.foprr.org) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is part of the National Wildlife Refuge Week celebration.As in years past, the festival will feature artists, craftsmen, children's activities, live wildlife shows, environmental education exhibits, and hay rides. There is a $50 fee for vendors and we ask, that due to our limited supply, that you bring your own table, chairs and tent. In return, we can guarantee that you will have a highly visible space among the other vendors and exhibitors. I sincerely appreciate your consideration. If you are interested in participating in the festival, please feel free to contact me at my personal email address kobedog@hotmail.com�or Annette Baker-Toole, President of Friends of the Potomac River Refuges at�info@foprr.com or call 703-408-5269. Lisa Graham
FOPRR Outreach Committee Member Annette Baker-Toole FotoWeek DC FotoWeek DC, the first annual celebration of photography in the nation's capital, will take place November 15-22, 2008. It will bring together photographers, museums, universities, and others involved in the profession across the metro D.C. area. FotoWeek DC will feature a photography contest and juried exhibition open to professional and amateur photographers, along with gallery openings, lectures, educational workshops, portfolio reviews, book signings, and special offers on photographic services and merchandise from local area retailers. The week-long celebration will culminate in a gala awards ceremony hosted by FotoWeek DC sponsor National Geographic, recognizing area photographers across several genres, including photojournalism, commercial, fine art, amateur, and student photography. FotoWeek DC is pleased to invite all photographers in DC, Virginia and Maryland to enter a Juried Competition. The deadline is Sept. 22. For more information on FotoWeek DC, including how to enter the FotoWeek DC professional and amateur photography competition, please visit www.FotoWeekDC.org. Workshops and Tours Costa Rica Photo Tours
Additional information about itineraries can be obtained by contacting Frank Scott. Frank
Scott
McLean Photography
Club Program: September 10, 7:15 - short tips & techniques session preceeds main program… Main program, 7:30 - Review/critique of a library of PSA (Photographic Society of America) photos, courtesy of Manuel Hernandez and Bill Prosser Competition: November 12th
Program: The new meeting place for Sept. and Oct will be the Reston Library located at 11935 Bowmantown Rd Reston Va 20190. The Sept. meeting will be held on Monday Sept 8th from 7:30 to 8:45. The Speaker will be Walt Calahan who has put together an inspirational Talk based on his 30 years of photography which has been widely acclaimed by area photo clubs. It is called "Mastering the Box: Expanding Your Creative Vision." Also check out Walt’s web site www.walterpcalahan.com. This promises to be an exciting and informative presentation and we urge everyone to attend. Competition: The entry form for our October photo show at RCC Lake Anne” PhotoArt” is on the web site. The deadline for sending in entry forms is Sept 26th. They are also accepted at the hanging on Sept 29th for an extra entry fee of $5.00. This is our big member’s only show so please try and participate.
Field Trip: Saturday, 9/13, 3:30-9:00 p.m., Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Fells Point, for more information, contact Martin Fish at fishmp@aol.com
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